Fragments on the Psalms · §69

The Fountain of Life and the Light of God

Saying: the words of his mouth are lawlessness and toil, that is, prideful as to bringing toil upon those who attend to them. He did not will to have understanding to do good. It is clear from the things said that the lawless one is not such by nature; for not willing understanding upon doing good is by his own choice.

And in addition to this: He stood in every way not good, but did not attend to wickedness. Such is the 'Woe to those working evil on their bed and completing them by day' (Ps 35:6). Thus, one standing in every way not good, having reckoned lawlessness while on his bed, that is, in every evil practice; not attending to his wickedness, accepting it as if it were his own hand, he begins practically to walk every way not good.

And in Isaiah, among the clouds, it is remembered thus: 'Let the heaven rejoice anew and let the clouds rain down righteousness' (Isa 65:19). But perceptible clouds do not rain down righteousness or truth, but rain down water. The clouds raining not righteousness are divine men, pouring forth the spiritual rain, that is, the word according to virtue. And above these, a heaven rejoicing, meaning the blessed natures inhabiting the heaven, or the Savior is allegorically so named; for the heaven above is, that is, above every generated nature, and it rejoices for the benefit of all.

And here, not in the heaven, I say, but in the Savior, is the mercy of the Lord, pitying all; and his truth, which is set in opposition to wickedness and types, is in the aforementioned clouds. For even if the prophets lived according to a shadow, they did not fail to know the truth which is this symbol. It is no wonder that those who keep the image and the rational movement find salvation. But even having acquired...

If anyone is coming toward salvation, being astonished at the goodness of God, he will say: 'Since you have filled your lion, O God, not only men but also cattle are being saved; for great sins require greater mercy' (Ps 35:9a).

Since the Church's doctrine participates in God, it participates in His potency; those contained by it will be intoxicated with a sober drunkenness. If the Church is God or the Savior, those enjoying His instruction will be intoxicated from the potency of His teaching (Ps 35:9b, 10a).

'Since with you is the fountain of life' (Ps 36:9), and He is the one who said 'I am the Being', it is fitting that you also water the torrent of your luxury coming from the fountain of life, those who have been intoxicated from the potency of your goodness. The fountain of life is the Savior, who does not have it outside but provides himself to all living, not only to men but also to those who have ascended above, the same divine life, just as he is called the fountain of wisdom; and the torrent of luxury is the Holy Spirit, to luxury-drench those who have received from Him the various gifts of Him (Ps 36:10b).

'In your light we shall see light' (Ps 36:12); the true light is the light of God, the radiance of the eternal light. In this light we shall see light, regarding you as the eternal light, it is said: 'God is light' (1 John 1:5). He who has seen me has seen the Father.

If the divine word is to be used with the said changes, as the seed here of pride, not of a living creature's foot but of an unliving foot, it is named in Proverbs; for in Proverbs the feet bring down the foolish. For 'do not let pride take place in my soul to deceive me' (Ps 35:13a), but also let not the hand, that is, practice, shake me as a sinner; for if I should practice the things of sinners, I shall be shaken from virtue.

'There' may signify the life to come, as 'there shall be weeping' and 'there'...

Greek

φάσκουσα· Τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀνομία καὶ κόπος, τουτέστιν, ἐπαχθῆ ὡς κόπον ἐμποιεῖν τοῖς προσέχουσιν. Οὐκ ἐβουλήθη συνεῖναι τοῦ ἀγαθῦναι. δῆλον ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ὡς ὁ παράνομος οὐκ ἐκ κατασκευῆς ἐστιν τοιοῦτος· τὸ γὰρ μὴ βούλεσθαι σύνεσιν ε χειν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀγαθοποιεῖν αὐτεξουσίου. Ετι δὲ πρὸς τούτοις· Παρέστη πάσῃ ὁδῷ οὐκ ἀγαθῇ, κακίᾳ δὲ οὐ προσώχθισε. τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν τὸ Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι κακὰ ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτῶν καὶ α μα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ συνετέλουν αὐτά. ου τως ου ν ἀνομίαν λογισάμενος ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης τυγχάνων Παρίσταται πάσῃ ὁδῷ οὐκ ἀγαθῇ, τουτέστιν πάσῃ πράξει πονηρᾷ· οὐ προσοχθίζων τῇ κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἀποδεχόμενος αὐτὴν ου σαν χειρίστην ε ξιν, πρακτικῶς α ρχεται ὁδεύειν πᾶσαν οὐκ ἀγαθὴν ὁδόν. 347 Ps 35,6 Καὶ ἐν ̔Ησαίᾳ α μα ταῖς νεφέλαις μνημονεύεται ου τως· Εὐφρανθήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς α νωθεν καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην. αἰσθηταὶ δὲ νεφέλαι οὐ δικαιοσύνην η ἀλήθειαν ἀλλ' ὑετὸν ῥέουσιν. αἱ ου ν δικαιοσύνην ῥέουσαι νεφέλαι θεῖοι α νδρες εἰσίν, τὸν πνευματικὸν ὑετὸν τουτέστι τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν λόγον προχέουσαι. ὑπεράνω δὲ τούτων οὐρανὸς εὐφραινόμενος η τοι αἱ μακάριοι φύσεις αἱ οἰκοῦσαι τὸν οὐρανὸν τυγχάνουσιν η ὁ σωτὴρ ἀλληγορικῶς ου τως ὀνομαζόμενος· α νωθεν γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς ου τος τουτέστιν ὑπεράνω φύσεως πάσης γεννητῆς τυγχάνει, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πάντων ὠφελείας εὐφραίνεται. καὶ ἐνταῦθα ου ν ἐν μὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ, φημὶ τῷ σωτῆρι, ἐστὶ τὸ ε λεος τοῦ κυρίου πάντας ἐλεοῦντος· ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ ἡ τῇ κακίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τύποις ἀντιδιαστελλομένη ἐν ταῖς προειρημέναις νεφέλαις ἐστίν. εἰ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ σκιὰν ἐβίουν οἱ προφῆται, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠγνόουν τὴν ἀλήθειαν η ς αυ τη σύμβολον. 348 Ps 35,7c.8a ̓Ανθρώπους τοὺς κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ τὸ λογικὸν κίνημα τηροῦντας σωτηρίας τυγχάνειν οὐ θαῦμα. ο ταν δὲ καὶ ἀποκτηνωθέντας η δη καὶ ι ππους θηλυμανεῖς γεγενημένους καὶ τῶν α λλων ἀλόγων ζῴων η θος ἀναλαβόντας ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν ἐρχομένους ι δῃ τις, ἐκπλαγεὶς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητι ἐρεῖ ̓Επεὶ τὸν ε λεόν σου ἐπλήθυνας, ω θεέ, οὐκ α νθρωποι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ κτήνη σῴζονται· τὰ γὰρ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα μείζονος καὶ μᾶλλον ἐλέου δεῖται. 349 Ps 35,9a Οι κου θεοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τυγχανούσης, πιότης αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ διδασκαλία τυγχάνει. ἀπὸ ταύτης νηφάλιον μεθυσθήσονται μέθην οἱ περιεχόμενοι αὐτῆς. εἰ δὲ οι κος θεοῦ ει η ὁ σωτήρ, ἀπὸ τῆς παιδεύσεως αὐτοῦ ου σης πιότητος μεθυσθήσονται οἱ ἀπολαύοντες αὐτῆς. 350 Ps 35,9b.10a ̓Επεὶ Παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ 75 ζωῆς, αυ τη δέ ἐστιν ὁ εἰπὼν ̓Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ω ν, εἰκότως καὶ τὸν χειμάρρουν τῆς τρυφῆς σου ἐρχόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς πηγῆς τῆς ζωῆς ποτιεῖς τοὺς μεθυσθέντας ἀπὸ πιότητος τοῦ οι κου σου. πηγὴ δὲ ζωῆς ὁ σωτὴρ τῷ μὴ ε ξωθεν ε χειν ἀλλὰ παρέχειν αὐτὸν α πασι τοῖς ζῶσιν, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνοις ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ὑπεραναβεβηκόσι κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ θείαν ζωήν, καθὸ καὶ πηγὴ σοφίας λέγεται· χείμαρρος δὲ τρυφῆς τὸ α γιον πνεῦμα τῷ τρυφᾶν τοὺς πεπωκότας ἀπ' αὐτοῦ δεχομένους τὰ διάφορα αὐτοῦ χαρίσματα. 351 Ps 35,10b ̓Εν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς· φῶς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς, τὸ ̓Απαύγασμα τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ ἀιδίου. ἐν τούτῳ ου ν τῷ φωτὶ ὀψόμεθα φῶς, σὲ τὸ ἀίδιον φῶς περὶ ου ει ρηται ̔Ο θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν. συμβαλεῖς τούτῳ ̔Ο ἐμὲ ἑωρακὼς ἑώρακε τὸν πατέρα. 352 Ps 35,12 Οι δεν ὁ θεῖος λόγος ταῖς λεγομέναις μεταβολαῖς χρῆσθαι, ω σπερ ἐνταῦθα τῆς ὑπερηφανίας οὐ ζῴου ποδώτου ἀλλ' ε ξεως ου σης πόδα ὠνόμασεν, καὶ ἐν Παροιμίαις Τῆς γὰρ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσι· ο γοῦν ευ χεται τοῦτό ἐστιν· μὴ λάβοι χώραν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ μου ἐπελθεῖν ἡ ὑπερηφανία ω στε ἀπατῆσαί με, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ χείρ, τουτέστι πρᾶξις, ἁμαρτωλοῦ σαλεύσαι με· εἰ γὰρ πράξοιμι τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, κλονηθήσομαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς. 353 Ps 35,13a ∆ύναται τὸ ̓Εκεῖ σημαίνειν τὸν μέλλοντα βίον, ὡς τὸ ̓Εκεῖ ε σται ὁ κλαυθμός, καὶ τὸ ̓Εκεῖ

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Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.

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